The biliary epithelium gives rise to liver progenitor cells.

UNLABELLED: Severe liver diseases are characterized by expansion of liver progenitor cells (LPC), which correlates with disease severity. However, the origin and role of LPC in liver physiology and in hepatic injury remains a contentious topic. We found that ductular reaction cells in human cirrhotic livers express hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 homeobox B (HNF1ß). However, HNF1ß expression was not present in newly generated epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)-positive hepatocytes. In order to investigate the role of HNF1ß-expressing cells we used a tamoxifen-inducible Hnf1ßCreER/R26R(Yfp/LacZ) mouse to lineage-trace Hnf1ß(+) biliary duct cells and to assess their contribution to LPC expansion and hepatocyte generation. Lineage tracing demonstrated no contribution of HNF1ß(+) cells to hepatocytes during liver homeostasis in healthy mice or after loss of liver mass. After acute acetaminophen or carbon tetrachloride injury no contribution of HNF1ß(+) cells to hepatocyte was detected. We next assessed the contribution of Hnf1ß(+) -derived cells following two liver injury models with LPC expansion, a diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydro-collidin (DDC)-diet and a choline-deficient ethionine-supplemented (CDE)-diet. The contribution of Hnf1ß(+) cells to liver regeneration was dependent on the liver injury model. While no contribution was observed after DDC-diet treatment, mice fed with a CDE-diet showed a small population of hepatocytes derived from Hnf1ß(+) cells that were expanded to 1.86% of total hepatocytes after injury recovery. Genome-wide expression profile of Hnf1ß(+) -derived cells from the DDC and CDE models indicated that no contribution of LPC to hepatocytes was associated with LPC expression of genes related to telomere maintenance, inflammation, and chemokine signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: HNF1ß(+) biliary duct cells are the origin of LPC. HNF1ß(+) cells do not contribute to hepatocyte turnover in the healthy liver, but after certain liver injury, they can differentiate to hepatocytes contributing to liver regeneration.

Genetic Screens Identify a Context-Specific PI3K/p27Kip1 Node Driving Extrahepatic Biliary Cancer.

Biliary tract cancer ranks among the most lethal human malignancies, representing an unmet clinical need. Its abysmal prognosis is tied to an increasing incidence and a fundamental lack of mechanistic knowledge regarding the molecular basis of the disease. Here, we show that the Pdx1-positive extrahepatic biliary epithelium is highly susceptible toward transformation by activated PIK3CAH1047R but refractory to oncogenic KrasG12D. Using genome-wide transposon screens and genetic loss-of-function experiments, we discover context-dependent genetic interactions that drive extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) and show that PI3K signaling output strength and repression of the tumor suppressor p27Kip1 are critical context-specific determinants of tumor formation. This contrasts with the pancreas, where oncogenic Kras in concert with p53 loss is a key cancer driver. Notably, inactivation of p27Kip1 permits KrasG12D-driven ECC development. These studies provide a mechanistic link between PI3K signaling, tissue-specific tumor suppressor barriers, and ECC pathogenesis, and present a novel genetic model of autochthonous ECC and genes driving this highly lethal tumor subtype. SIGNIFICANCE: We used the first genetically engineered mouse model for extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma to identify cancer genes by genome-wide transposon-based mutagenesis screening. Thereby, we show that PI3K signaling output strength and p27Kip1 function are critical determinants for context-specific ECC formation. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2945.

Pancreatic exocrine duct cells give rise to insulin-producing beta cells during embryogenesis but not after birth.

A longstanding unsettled question is whether pancreatic beta cells originate from exocrine duct cells. We have now used genetic labeling to fate map embryonic and adult pancreatic duct cells. We show that Hnf1beta+ cells of the trunk compartment of the early branching pancreas are precursors of acinar, duct, and endocrine lineages. Hnf1beta+ cells subsequent form the embryonic duct epithelium, which gives rise to both ductal and endocrine lineages, but not to acinar cells. By the end of gestation, the fate of Hnf1beta+ duct cells is further restrained. We provide compelling evidence that the ductal epithelium does not make a significant contribution to acinar or endocrine cells during neonatal growth, during a 6 month observation period, or during beta cell growth triggered by ligation of the pancreatic duct or by cell-specific ablation with alloxan followed by EGF/gastrin treatment. Thus, once the ductal epithelium differentiates it has a restricted plasticity, even under regenerative settings.

Activation of AMP kinase alpha1 subunit induces aortic vasorelaxation in mice.

Vasodilatation is a vital mechanism of systemic blood flow regulation that occurs during periods of increased energy demand. The AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) is a serine/threonine kinase that is activated by conditions that increase the AMP-to-ATP ratio, such as exercise and metabolic stress. We hypothesized that AMPK could trigger vasodilatation and participate in blood flow regulation. Rings of thoracic aorta were isolated from C57Bl6 mice and mice deficient in the AMPK catalytic alpha1 (AMPKalpha1-/-) or alpha2 (AMPKalpha2-/-) subunit and their littermate controls, and mounted in an organ bath. Aortas were preconstricted with phenylephrine (1 microM) and activation of AMPK was induced by addition of increasing concentrations of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-beta-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR). AICAR (0.1-3 mM) dose-dependently induced relaxation of precontracted C57BL6, AMPKalpha1+/+ and alpha2+/+ aorta (P<0.001, n=5-7 per group). This AICAR induced vasorelaxation was not inhibited by the addition of adenosine receptor antagonists. Moreover, when aortic rings were freed of endothelium by gentle rubbing, AICAR still induced aortic ring relaxation, suggesting a direct effect of AICAR on smooth muscle cells. When aortic rings were pretreated with L-NMMA (30 microM) to inhibit nitric oxide synthase activity, AICAR still induced relaxation. Western blot analysis of C57Bl6 mice denuded aorta showed that AMPK was phosphorylated after incubation with AICAR and that AMPKalpha1 was the main catalytic subunit expressed. Finally, AICAR-induced relaxation of aortic rings was completely abolished in AMPKalpha1-/- but not AMPKalpha2-/- mice. Taken together, the results show that activation of AMPKalpha1 but not AMPKalpha2 is able to induce aortic relaxation in mice, in an endothelium- and eNOS-independent manner.